The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-27
AIR MOUNT, MISSISSIPPI.
ANClENC { NAVIGATION AND VsRg
RICH LANDS.
s Coed Population, Industrious aSd
Intelllgent--Valuabl Farms aad
Very Valuable Timber Lands.

loORREsPoNptNcs or THA APPEAL.
CoFFRRvILLE, MISS June 25. The
APPEALS correspondent had occasion
to spend several days in the piclur-
eeque little city Of Air Mount net locS
since, and while there gained the toi-
lowipg information in regard TO chat
town and the precinct In which Il is
Tho EOrth or northeastern
part OF Supervisors' District No. 5,
which lies in the eastern portion Of
this (Yalobusbs) county, comprises
the precinct, which has an area Of
nearly fifty rquare miles, or 80 coo
acres. This precinct Is well wstered
by email creeks and branches, which
are supplied generally By bold aud
mover failing springs Of pure freesiOne
watOr. The principal wster couree Ia
the Llosa Scoona river, which hesb "a
q westerly coms0 thISheh the so1th-
eastern portion OF Dstgiot No. 3, and
which was for many years beiore the
wsr nRvigatsd by keel AID fist boa's.
These boats carried out cotton, hoop
poles, staves and many other country
produces, which were reshipped q
Gre ,nwood, NJ ss., althOuga on ssy-
eral occasions the fiat boats we're tun
through to New Orleans, where both
cargo and boa were sold. The lsada
lying along the creeks aud branches
and vAllsya on each side Of Sc0OIa
river aTo rich and leitile, capable Ot
either q bale OF cotton or
Atty bushels ai corn il properly cult.
waited. Much Of the upland or hills ls
also quite produGtive, and II protected
by horizontal ard hillside citohlng
would last for years, but, unless thus
taken care OF. will soon wash away, 80
u is Of n sandy substance. The popn-
latlon Of this precinct is about 20OO,
the white people largely predominat-
ing--ssy In the ra 10 OF about four
to one--and Is composed almost an
entirely OF nRuven OF ths United
States, the only foreigners being q tew
Irishmen, who are among the ncst
useful ciliz !ns. Tne people gsnerally
are sober, honest aud industrious, snd
q large per centsge of them professors
Of religion, and, In regard 30 inte,Ii-
gence, will compare iavorably gth
other portions OF the State. Air Mount
Ia the only town In the preclHct, and
ia situated about one mile east Of the
Calhoun county line, and near three
miles north Of SCoona river. The pop
u!ation conssts OF about lb0 Oitig sns,
al white with the exception of few,
and the amount OF business done, in
the aggregate, ia quite considerable.
Lhe only posIufljco Ia the precinct is
located al this place, with daily mail,
Sundays excepted, from both o. Dee
vile and PitnbDrO. The town
Ia incorporated and hsH
Mayor aud Bsard Of AldefsneN.
Air Mount has been prohibitien
town for the pabt Eve yens--was the
first to take advantage OF the local op-
ton law, but 10 now prohibited by act
OF the Legislature. Prohibition has
been Of great benet Il TO the entire COM
muniiy, both morally and peouniarily,
as Air Mount once had the reputation
OF being the worst place In the State,
but now q more peaceable, orderly and
quiet community would be hard 70
find anywhere Fine schools are To-
Gated In all parts Of the precinct, which
are being taught by capable and pains
taking teachers, and arc being literally
by the whole people. Many
citizens of this portion Of tho Super
vlsor's Dletrict belong to that worthy
order of FreemaBons, whose beRevo-
lenCe Ia diBpenslog 80 many blessings
over our entire country, and whose
place OF meeting is their hall over
New Hope Church. The precinct
iu well supplied with mills, both
saw and grist. Mre. York's gristmill
on York's Creek supplies the people
OF the vicinity with good meal. II.
M. &llstead'e gristmill and cotton gin,
and j. L. Holland'e, OF the same kind,
on the northern line OF the precinct,
both have an extensive patronage
from this and the Pine Valley neigh
and also from Calhoun
county. These mills are situated IN
small treams,supplied by bold springs,
having their ponds above the Iaills.
The water ia conducted TO them by
small canals or bitches along the sides
Of the hills, thus giving sufficient fall
10 enable q email volume OF water to
propel the machinery. Mr.. j. II.
Smith also has cotton gin and srist-
mill south Of SCoons, which supplies
The wants OF that portion OF the pre-
cinct. Mis-. Newburry Wne steam saw
mill, located about five miles eaa! Of
Co1eevile, which does quite an e1-
Jensive lumber business Mr.. J A,
and Mr. Rodgers both own
Iawmills in the precinct snd supply
their respective neighbOrhOods Eith
lumber. Laborers have been for sew
srsl years rather scarce, II frequently
being the case that farnSem eIperi-
enced come difficulty in securing as
many as they needed, and this Tss
more especially the cage when q srm-
er desired 10 hire hands flY wages ~
most of them prefer working "fn
shares" There iB no gOyerEE nj
land in the Air Mouut precinct, a5 I
Is composed Of territory that once ls-
ionged to the Ohickasaw Indians md
was disposed Of by che Uaiied ssa-ss
for their benefit Land
In this pIeciuct Is worth from SO
10 Sl2 per acre, according t. qualify,
aud improvements. STICK
raising ia now followed to a great
Dxleut in this portion Of the country
and hardly any are eve7 purchased
outside II the precinct Hogs are
raised to some extent, but not in sby
thing like sufficient nun oers 10 sup
ply tho demand for home cobs1mp-
ton. Hogs can be raised in ScOcna
Bottom with but little feed, II properly
looked after, and will iatten on the
acorn, hickorynut and beach mast.
Wild game Of all kinds can be i0und
In Scooua swamp, while the rsceoor
aud oppossum abound IN the mills.
Farming in this precinct consists
chiefly la raising corr, cotton, oats,
wheat, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes
and millet. Wheat is grown to a very
limited extent, and indeed we doubt II
Il is prof able to raise IL at all here, az
most Of the land that is rich enough
10 produce wheat is TOO low aud levsl
ior the grain, Il would DO drowned
put by OVERT lws IN the winter ana
spring. But little improvements IN the
way Of farming implments has been
made and as a rule the farmers follow